My husband and I have one male miniature australian shepherd who just turned a year old yesterday. We have decided to get another puppy because we love this breed so much. The puppy will be arriving on Wednesday (he is also a male and of the same breed). I am hoping for any tips I can get on how to get my dog to accept the new puppy. Also I was wondering if the fact that my dog is still a puppy himself will allow him to accept the new puppy better. I would appreciate any help.
I love seeing dogs' interactions and communications. I have 3 dogs of our own and foster other dogs from time to time.
Is your puppy good with other dogs? Regardless of on or off leash? How does he act when you have a guest with a dog? Does your puppy ever get protective for you?
If he is friendly to all dogs, I don't think it will be a problem unless you and your husband make sure to treat her the #1 dog. It is my phylosophy to give everything (attention, food, treats, plays, etc.) to the existing dog first. The existing dog should feel jealous or threatened with the new comer. Eventually, I make sure they can share everything without fighting over. I give the old one a bone and have the new one wait for a few minutes, then I take the bone away from the old one and give it to the new one.
If your puppy is somehow protective (and I see quite a few aussies that way) you might want to introduce the new puppy somewhere else not your home first. Then, bring both puppies home together. Give the old puppy plenty of time to sniff and investigate the new puppy.
When you see the older one getting too excited/aggressive, tell him to be "Gentle".
When you feed the puppies together, make sure they don't show any food aggression. Be there until the slower one finishes his meal until you feel comfortable just leaving them alone. This way, you will be able to see if each dog ate his own and prevent one dog eating too much while the other one didn't get enough.
If your current puppy has a slow eating/on-and-off eating habit, bringing another dog will help him eat fast
It will be a lot to fun not only for your puppy but you and your husband to have the addition!! Enjoy!!
